Preschool Teacher Job Outlook
The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment of preschool teachers to grow 4.5% from 2025 to 2035 (about 26,200 more jobs), with about 66,700 openings a year, and the May 2025 median pay of $38,140 a year ranks 753rd of 825 occupations.
- Projected change
- +4.5%
- Openings a year
- 66,700
- Median pay
- $38,140
- Pay rank
- 753rd of 825
Is employment of preschool teachers growing or shrinking?
Growing: BLS projects employment of preschool teachers to rise 4.5% (about 26,200 more jobs) from 2025 to 2035, faster than the 3.5% projected across all occupations. That is faster than the +1.4% summed from BLS's employment levels across the 64 educational instruction and library occupations with a projection. That change ranks 271st of 830 projected occupations.
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Employment, 2025 | 583,200 |
| Employment, 2035 | 609,400 |
| Projected change | +4.5% |
| Openings a year | 66,700 |
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035. A projection is a BLS estimate, not a count. The 583,200 jobs here differ from the 478,780 on the salary page because Employment Projections also counts the self-employed and a wider set of workers, while OEWS counts wage and salary jobs in May 2025. BLS published these projections on August 27, 2026; checked November 10, 2026. Confirm any figure in the BLS Employment Projections tables.
BLS's reasons for this projection are at the Occupational Outlook Handbook. State projections are at Projections Central; projections by industry are left to BLS. Education, licensing and work context at O*NET.
How many job openings are there each year?
About 66,700 openings a year, from job growth and from workers leaving the occupation, the 58th most of 830 occupations. About 96% of them replace workers who change occupations or leave the labor force; the rest come from the 2,620 jobs added in an average year.
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035.
How does pay for preschool teachers rank?
The median of $38,140 a year ranks 753rd of 825 occupations with a published median. It sits in the upper half of occupations on openings and the lower half on pay.
Source: BLS OEWS national file, May 2025. Wage and salary jobs only; the self-employed are not counted. OEWS pay excludes overtime, shift differentials and non-production bonuses. Ranks count only the occupations with that published figure: 830 for projected change, 830 for openings, 825 for median pay, which is why the totals differ.
What does it take to start?
- Typical entry-level education: associate's degree.
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035, education and training assignments.
How do related jobs compare on outlook?
| Occupation | Change | Openings a year | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education | -0.3% | 11,900 | $62,680 |
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | -0.4% | 87,500 | $63,970 |
| Special Education Teachers, Preschool | +2.4% | 2,000 | $64,830 |
| Special Education Teachers, Secondary School | -0.2% | 10,400 | $74,260 |
| Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education | -0.4% | 38,800 | $64,370 |
| Special Education Teachers, Middle School | -0.4% | 6,000 | $66,810 |
| Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors | -13.9% | 3,800 | $61,540 |
| Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education | -0.2% | 63,500 | $72,040 |
Related occupations from O*NET; projections from BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035; pay from BLS OEWS, May 2025.